The training of firefighters, both in the techniques of properly fighting and extinguishing fires, and in the forensic determination of the cause of a fire conventionally involves the use of live fire burn rooms.
One common type of firefighter training facility is a permanent tower which has several floors each floor having one or more rooms which may be provided with some insulation. Such towers are generally masonry structures and may be equipped with various means for generating fire and smoke to provide a realistic environment for training firefighters. These towers allow the firefighters to experience different types of fires within a building structure in order to learn the proper fire fighting techniques. While such towers are effective, they are expensive to construct and have the disadvantage of being permanently located in a fixed position. Such towers are not portable and cannot be moved to various locations for training firefighters in different areas.
As a result of these disadvantages, portable or mobile firefighting training units have been developed. Generally, these training units are trailerable and have a plurality of rooms or areas having fire source devices to generate flames, smoke and heat to provide a realistic firefighter training environment.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,548 discloses a mobile firefighting training trailer which is divided into a plurality of rooms or passages. A plurality of simulated appliances and furniture pieces are located in the various rooms. A smoke generator is located in a separate equipment room and the unit is capable of selectively supplying smoke to desired locations in the trailer. Flame generating devices are associated with the simulated appliances and furniture pieces. The generated flames are extinguished by proper application of water and other extinguishing agents. A ventilation system and sprinkler system are provided for the safety of the trainees.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,835 shows a mobile firefighting training facility that can be transported to a training site to realistically simulate an actual fire. The firefighting training facility has a mobile housing with a plurality of exterior walls, an interior chamber, fire-generating means coupled with the housing for generating a fire in the interior chamber of the housing. Foldable extension panels are attached and the building exterior and each panel resembles a portion of the exterior or facade of a building such as a house. The foldable panels are shiftable between folded or transport positions wherein the panels overly a portion of the exterior walls of the housing and extended use positions wherein the panels are positioned adjacent to and substantially co-planar with one of the exterior walls of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,707 shows a modular firefighting trainer which includes at least one simulated module having a training room with one or more simulated burnable items and having an equipment room with a burner control and a smoke generator. A second control subassembly has a control room with a control panel connecting to the burner control and the smoke generator. A third interconnected assembly has a hallway connecting to the training room and having an exterior doorway.
In addition to the modular, mobile firefighting training units described above, the prior art discloses specialized fire trainers such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,136. This patent shows a mock-up aircraft for use in training firefighters and passenger rescuers during simulated aircraft cabin fires.
Thus, while the training units described above represent a less expensive, portable approach to providing firefighting training facilities, there nevertheless exists the need for inexpensive mobile units which can easily be configured to the requirements of the user and which can be utilized both for firefighting training and for forensic arson investigation.